Divine Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

I have just recently found this wonderful oven-baked cauliflower recipe, which really does live up to its "divine" tag! I made this for dinner last night, and it is comfort food par excellence. It is not only delicious but also very easy to make, and doesn't take long to cook. It is actually a vegetarian low-carb recipe which I have veganised. I guess it is a kind of vamped-up version of the classic cauliflower cheese, which has always been an old favourite of mine, and of many other people too, I am sure. Although this dish can be a main course in its own right, it also makes a great accompaniment to a meal, or a great substitute for a baked potato with cheese. This recipe ticks a lot of "special diet" boxes, as it is not only vegan, but also low-carbohydrate and gluten-free! There is a reason for this, as I am consciously cutting down on the carbs in my diet at present and experimenting with other options (and hope to feel the benefit soon!). That was why this recipe caught my eye. So look out for a few more vegan low-carb recipes from me here in the future (maybe the phrase "vegan low-carb" sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but I assure you it is not!)

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into even sized florets

150 ml (1/4 pint) of soured vegan cream*

225g (8 oz) of grated vegan cheese **

4 spring onions, finely chopped

A few drops of Tabasco or other hot peppery sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

White pepper (optional)

*I use Alpro single soya cream, and make it "soured" by mixing it with around 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

** A mature Cheddar-style one is the best to use here, or any other strongly-flavoured hard cheese you can get.

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 deg F/Gas Mark 4

2) Cook the cauliflower in 5 cm (2 in) of boiling water until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

3) Mash the cauliflower: it is nice with some texture to it, although you can make it more smooth according to your taste. Stir in the soured cream, half the cheese, the spring onions, and the Tabasco sauce. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

4) Put the mixture in a shallow casserole dish, and spread it with a spatula to get an even layer.

5) Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for around 35 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.

6) f eating as a main course, serve with a green salad and crusty bread (but obviously leave out the bread if you are doing a low-carb diet, like me!)

It is indeed divine! I made this dish for a potluck dinner yesterday and even the omnivores raved about it. I made a few adjustments: used 1 cup vegan sour cream, 4 oz Daiya cheddar shreds, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, topped it with breadcrumbs. The whole house smelled so good while it was baking. This will definitely become a holiday classic in our house.

Yes, you could add quinoa Delia, but it already has protein from the vegan cream and cheese. It has a rich moist sauce anyway, so you shouldn't find it too dry. But obviously there are numerous variations that could be made to it.